This John Turturro Psychological Thriller Has a Heavy Lynchian Vibe
It's a craving surreal stories hour and I have the best one you haven't seen yet. A role that was written specifically for John Turturro and he does an excellent job as always.
As someone who lives and breathes works of David Lynch, I'm always on the hunt for that particular uncanny and surreal feeling that not a lot of projects can provide. And I don't really think that you can intentionally replicate it. In fact, I'm convinced that if you set to replicate that Lynchian atmosphere, you either going to fail miserably or end up with just an okay product that doesn't have anything to do with Lynch, even in the slightest.
That's why it's so special to stumble across a movie that triggers that kind of distinctive feeling you get during and after Mulholland Drive (2001) or Eraserhead (1977).
Barton Fink (1991): Trapped in Hollywood
I got to admit I knew embarrassingly little about the Coen Brothers before watching Barton Fink. I knew they did Fargo ( 1996) and The Big Lebowski (1998) but that's about it. And after watching Barton Fink, I think this movie was my real introduction to these two.
The film follows Barton Fink (John Turturro), a pretentious New York playwright who moves to LA to write for Hollywood. Little does he know, he's about to be sucked in a surreal and sinister mind game that he can't seem to escape.
I went into the movie completely blind and was struck by how everything played out. Yet I don't think that's the only reason why I was this impressed. The movie absolutely nails the feeling of being trapped in a strange, hostile environment where nothing makes sense.
Coen Brothers Wrote Barton Fink for John Turturro
Admiration and respect are the key words that come to mind when I think about the Turturro and Coen brothers' collaborations. The actor appeared in many of their hits like The Big Lebowski; Miller's Crossing (1990); O Brother, Where Art Thou (2000).
In his interview to Deadline, he actually revealed an interesting detail about the making of Barton Fink. He said:
“They told me they were going to write a role for me for Miller’s Crossing, but I guess they had writer’s block in the middle of that and they couldn’t finish it. And they wrote Barton Fink in the middle of it and so after I did Miller’s Crossing, they said they had this other film.”
It honestly doesn't surprise me that such a surreal movie came from a creative block during the writing of another film. It just feels right.
David Lynch Fans Will Feel Right at Home
Speaking of surreal movies, every Lynch fan has to watch Barton Fink at least once in their lifetime. If you are searching for that dose of unsettling weirdness that the master delivers, Barton Fink hits all the right notes.
The movie plays with reality and bizarre nightmares. Everything you thought you knew gets turned upside down, gradually creeping up on you like a fever dream.
The hotel where Barton stays has that same eerie presence where everything seems normal on the surface. But something's definitely off, just like the best places in Lynchverse.
So whether you're a Lynch devotee, a Coen Brothers fan, or simply someone who enjoys having their mind twisted, Barton Fink deserves a spot on your watchlist. It's available on Fandango at Home, Amazon Video and Apple TV+.
